Methods of plating or coating ultrasound transducers

• US 10,230,041 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recor Medical, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Recor Medical, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Kevin, Chandler, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Eslami, Tabassom Tadayyon
• Application Number:
  US14/210,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20140272110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 427304, 427 979, 427 995, 427437, 4274431, 427 9, 427105, 427230, 427476, 427100, 310334, 310369, 310322, 310355, 310345, 310642, 340363, 29594, 600395, 600437, 216 6, 216 16, 216 30, 216 31, 216 34, 216 74, 216 76, 216 80, 216 96, 216 97, 216 99, 216103, 216104, 216106, 216107, 216108, 216109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0662 with an electrode on the sensitive surface
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1651 Two or more layers only obtained by electroless plating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1675 Process conditions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1893 with use of organic or inorganic compounds other than metals, first
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/36 using hypophosphites
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/38 Coating with copper
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/54 Contact plating, i.e. electroless electrochemical plating
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/06 Forming electrodes or interconnections, e.g. leads or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/067 Forming single-layered electrodes of multilayered piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method of depositing at least one electrode on a base member of an ultrasound transducer comprises at least partially etching a surface of the base member using a first etching agent, catalyzing the surface of the base member using a first catalyst, plating copper on the surface of the base member using an electroless plating process, inspecting the copper plated on the surface of the base member, at least partially etching a surface of the copper-plated surface using a second etching agent, catalyzing the copper-plated surface using a second catalyst, plating nickel on the copper-plated surface using an electroless plating process and depositing at least one layer of gold on the nickel-plated surface.

Claims

1. A method of depositing at least one electrode on a base member of an ultrasound transducer, the method comprising:

cleaning a base member with a cleaning agent, wherein the base member comprises ceramic;

at least partially etching a surface of the base member using a first etching agent comprising a solution of tetrafluoroboric acid and acetate;

catalyzing the surface of the base member using a first catalyst;

plating copper on the surface of the base member using an electroless plating process such that the copper is adjacently deposited onto the base member;

inspecting the copper plated on the surface of the base member;

at least partially etching a surface of the copper-plated surface using a second etching agent;

catalyzing the copper-plated surface using a second catalyst;

plating nickel on the copper-plated surface using an electroless plating process; and

depositing at least one layer of gold on the nickel-plated surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent comprises at least one of a degreaser and an alcohol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second etching agent comprises an acid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first catalyst and the second catalyst comprises palladium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein plating copper on the surface of the base member comprises placing the base member in a copper bath.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second catalyst comprises a sulfate anion-based solution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein plating nickel on the copper-plated surface comprises placing the ultrasound transducer in a bath comprising high-phosphorus nickel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing at least one layer of gold on the nickel-plated surface comprises immersing a monolayer of gold along the nickel-plated surface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of copper along the surface of the base member is approximately 15 microinches.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of nickel along the copper-coated surface is approximately 150 microinches.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of gold along the nickel-coated surface is approximately 5 microinches.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the base member is cut from a larger bulk member.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein inspecting the copper plated on the surface of the base member comprises at least one of verifying a thickness of copper plated on the base member and verifying a uniformity of plating along the base member.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the base member does not meet at least one threshold requirement of the inspection, the method further comprises re-plating copper on the surface of the base member using an electroless plating process.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the base member comprises cylindrical shape.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the copper, nickel and gold are deposited along exterior and interior surface of the base member.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one electrode is deposited on a plurality of base members using a batch procedure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of base members is positioned on a wire rack.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of base members is positioned in a barrel system.